Title: Holly Holmes in Swimming into Danger

Holly Holmes stood with her feet firmly planted as the other girl rushed towards her. As the girl reached out, Holly pulled her forward and rolled backwards, sending the girl flying. She landed with a thud and Holly sprung to her feet, brushing her light brown hair back off her face.
Holly then broke out laughing.
‘Beth, are you OK’?
‘I ache in places I didn’t know I had’ said Holly’s best friend Beth Marshall.
‘Excellent, Holly’ said her judo instructor, but I think Beth may have had enough for one night’.
The pretty 16 year old schoolgirl sleuth reached down to help her friend back to her feet.

As Holly returned home, her mum was sat on the couch with a lady Holly did not recognise.
‘Hi, honey,’ said her mum, ’this is Ann Wells, the mother of the girl who has disappeared’. The news papers had been full of a young swimmer who had suddenly vanished.
‘I have heard so much about you, Holly, I wondered if you may be able to help find Robyn, my daughter’.
‘I really think it’s a case for the police’ said Holly
‘They are looking into it, of course’, said Ann, ‘however, I thought you may be able to look round the gym where Robyn was last seen – please’, she almost pleaded.
Holly looked at her mum, ‘OK, I guess keeping fit and sleuthing may be fun’.

The next day, Holly and Beth arrived at the gym.
‘I don’t know how I got talked into this’ said Beth. Holly smiled at her friend.
After a brief tour, the two friends got changed.
Holly was surprised when she entered the gym, there where so many bright outfits and heavily made up young women it felt more like a fashion show.
After half and hour on the exercise bike and rowing machine Holly said ‘Ready for a swim, Beth’

‘Ready for a lay down, more like’ gasped Beth.
The girls changed into their swim suits and as they were leaving the changing room a girl bumped into Holly.
‘Clumsy’ the girl said to Holly. Although Holly was sure she wasn’t to blame she apologised anyhow.
‘You are Holly Holmes, the girl sleuth, aren’t you’ said the girl
Holly confirmed that she was.
‘There’s nothing here for you to poke your nose into’
‘You don’t know Robyn Wells, I suppose’ said Holly
‘Of course’ said the girl ‘everyone does, she’s a good swimmer’.
Holly then lowered herself into the pool.
After swimming a few lengths, Holly pulled herself out of the pool.
‘Pretty good, Holly’ it was the girl who had bumped into her, ‘now watch a real swimmer’.
The girl dived in and swam effortlessly.

‘She’s pretty good’ said a girl to Holly, her name is Laura West, ‘she’s great at athletics and tennis too – oh and judo and karate’.

‘Come on, Hol’ said Beth ‘lets go to the café, Darren supposed to be meeting us remember’
Holly remembered her other best friend, Darren Carter has said he would join the girl’s for a coffee.
‘Gosh, I’d forgotten about that’ said Holly.
‘Holly, you are hopeless sometime’ said Beth.
‘I just want to spend 10 minute in the sauna’ said Holly
‘Must look you best for Darren’ giggled Beth and Holly felt herself blush crimson.
Holly entered the sauna and laid her towel out, the room was empty. As Holly wondered if the girl Laura was anything to do with Robyn’s disappearance, fingers outside the sauna were adjusting the temperature override. The gauge was turned until the temperature needle moved into a red zone marked DANGER. Then a cane was jammed through the handle of the sauna, to ensure it would not open!

Inside, Holly noticed the temperature rising. She walked over to where the temperature was showing – DANGER – it was far too hot. Holly tried to adjust it but it would not budge. Holly began to feel light-headed and made her way to the door. It was jammed!
Holly wasn’t prone to panic, but this time she did. She screamed out loud but no one heard
'Must not….let….myself…… faint’ thought Holly blearily.
However, the heat grew more and more intense and objects in the sauna began to swim before Holly’s eyes.
Finally, totally overcome by the heat, Holly fainted and fell limp to the floor of the sauna!

Meanwhile, in the café, Darren had arrived and sat with Beth.
‘Holly will be here soon, she is just making herself beautiful for you’ said Beth, ‘actually, she should be here by now, I am going to see what she’s fooling about at’.
When Beth reached the sauna, she noticed the indicator on DANGER. Then she looked through the window and was horrified to see Holly stretched on the floor.
The heat had obviously caused Holly to faint and she was obviously unconscious or worse!
Beth yelled for an attendant and soon Holly’s limp form was carried out of the sauna. Her normally perfect skin was speckled with bright pink marks.
The attendant carried Holly to the emergency room, while Beth went to get Darren.
When the two friends got back to the emergency room, Holly was still unconscious, attendants were running ice packs across her skin to try and cool her down.
‘How is she’ said Darren
‘Not good, I am afraid, we have rung for an ambulance’.
‘AMBULANCE’ yelled Beth, than began crying.
Just at that moment, Holly’s eyes began to open.
She saw Darren’s face and managed a smile ‘Where am I’ said Holly.
‘Still at the gym, you got trapped in the Sauna and fainted’ Darren told Holly.
‘They are taking you to hospital’ cried Beth.
‘Please let my….mum…..and……dad….’ Holly’s voice trailed off.
Then the teen sleuth’s eye’s closed and her head lolled to one side.
Still very weak from her experience, Holly fainted and lapsed back to unconsciousness!
A few minutes later, Holly’s limp form was placed on a stretcher and carried to the waiting ambulance.
As they left the gym, they passed Laura West.
‘What happened to Holly’ she said ‘has she overdone it’
Her tone was almost mocking.
‘She got trapped in the sauna and someone fooled with the temperature. Holly passed-out’, said Beth ‘I don’t suppose you know anything about it’.
Laura shook her head.

Later that evening, Holly was feeling much better. Her mum, dad, Beth and Darren were sat round her bed. Usually, her parents let Holly have free reign when solving mysteries, however this time her dad said ‘ Holly, I really think you ought to give this case a miss, if Beth had not found you when she did…well, you could have been in the emergency ward now’.
‘Dad, I am fine and I am sure Laura West has something to do with this – can we go home’
‘You are being kept in overnight for observation’ said her dad
Holly frowned ‘but dad’
However, there was no argument. Her parents and friend hugged her and Holly slipped beneath the sheets. Before they had left the room, Holly had fallen fast asleep.

After a good nights rest, Holly was released from hospital and went home.
Although her mum and dad were reluctant to let her continue with the case, Holly convinced them that she was sure the disappearance of Robyn was something to do with Laura.
On that basis, her parents let her continue if she took care.
Later that day, Holly returned to the gym and spoke to the swimming instructor, who confirmed there had been a lot of rivalry between Robyn and Laura.
‘Laura has always had her own way, her parents have even bought her an apartment of her own in town, but she could never get the better of Robyn in a race’ said the instructor.
‘If you need to check, all the records are in a room upstairs’.
The trainer took Holly upstairs and Holly thumbed her way through the records.
The trainer was right. Laura could never beat Robyn.
Now convinced Laura knew something about Robyn’s disappearance, Holly made to go back down stairs. However, as she reached the top of the stairs, two hands shoved the teen sleuth firmly in the back.
She grabbed at the rail at the side of the stairs but could not hold on.
Holly fell headlong down stairs until she crashed on her back at the bottom.
Holly forced herself up to her elbows, but black fingers of unconsciousness began to drag her back to the floor.
The light above her, then the whole room began to spin out of control.
That was the last thing she remembered for some time.
Next moment Holly fainted and slipped into unconsciousness!

When she regained consciousness, Holly was lying face down on a sofa. As she began to stir, she heard a voice she recognised speaking from what seemed far away, ‘Welcome back, Holly, you have been out for quite a while’.
Holly eventually came to a sitting position.
It was Laura West. ‘You really are too nosy for your own good Miss Super Sleuth’ Laura laughed, ‘you never know you might even solve the case if you can stay conscious for more than a few hours at a time’ mocked Laura.
‘I suppose you have Robyn here somewhere’ said Holly.
‘Of course’ said Laura ‘I could never beat her in the pool and she is standing in the way of me being chosen for England – and no one does that’!
‘However, as you have paid a visit, Miss Holmes, I will at least introduce you’.
With that Holly suddenly lashed out with her right foot, catching Laura a painful blow in the knee, then stood up and pushed out with her right leg against Laura, shoving her back across the room’.
However, Laura quickly recovered and pushed Holly back against a wall.
‘You will pay for that, Holly’, said Laura.

Laura then drew back her arm and hit Holly on the neck with the side of her hand, delivering the perfect knock-out chop.
There was a moment of unbearable pain and red and black spots danced before Holly’s eyes. Then she began to fall.
That was the moment that Holly fainted!

Laura smiled to herself as she lifted Holly’s unconscious body and carried it to the back of the room. There she unlocked a door and carried Holly in.
‘Robyn, you have a visitor’ and dropped Holly’s body onto a thin mattress.
‘Holly Holmes’ said Robyn recognising Holly’s face from pictures she had seen in the papers ‘what have you done to her’.
‘She’s come to rescue you, apparently, but I can’t allow that so I am afraid I have had to knock Holly Holmes unconscious’ laughed Laura.

Holly Holmes eyes began to flutter open. For a moment she wondered where she was, then she saw a face looking down at her.
‘Robyn’? said Holly.
‘Yes’ replied Robyn ‘thank goodness you are waking up’.
Holly vaguely remembered struggling with Laura before Laura had used a karate move to knock Holly unconscious.

‘We must try and escape’ said Holly, ‘who knows what she has in store for us’.
‘How’ said Robyn.
Holly had an idea, she would pretend to be still unconscious and Robyn could get Laura into the room by saying she was worried Holly was badly hurt, then Holly could surprise Laura.
‘It sounds dangerous’ said Laura.
‘Yes’ said Holly, ’but we must try’.

Before the girls put their plan into action, Holly used her special watch, which was also a small radio, to contact Beth.
‘Holly, where on Earth are you’ said Beth.
‘In Laura’s apartment with Robyn, Laura knocked me out and kidnapped me’ said Holly ‘but we have a plan, can you let the police know what’s happening’
Beth said she would then the girl’s put their plan into action.
Holly lay back on the mattress and closed her eyes.

Robyn put her mouth to the door.
‘Holly is still unconscious, I think she may be badly hurt, please come and look’.
Laura walked into the room and looked down at Holly. Laura gave Holly a sharp kick in the ribs and Holly had to stifle a moan. Then Laura bent down to take a closer look and Holly took her chance.
She suddenly grabbed Laura by the wrists and pulled her forward, placing her foot in Laura’s stomach, Holly sent the girl head over heels, just as she had done with Beth in the judo class.
However, this was not Beth. Laura jumped to her feet and approached Holly, who was still in a sitting position. Laura’s face was full of rage.
As she approached, Holly kicked out with her right leg, catching Laura behind the knee and sending her crashing to the floor.
As Laura lay winded, Holly pinned her to the floor, holding onto her wrists.
The girls then heard police sirens. Laura tried desperately to escape, but Holly hung on, determined not to let Laura escape.
Moments later the police entered and took Laura away and Holly and Robyn were free.

A couple of days later, there was a knock on the door of Holly’s house and her mum let in Robyn and her mum.
‘We are so grateful to you, Holly and want to give you a reward’.
‘That’s really kind’ said Holly, ‘but I don’t want a reward, I just love helping out and solving mysteries’.

So another case was solved but Holly was certain it would not be long before she was up to her neck in her next mystery.